All Fall Down
by in-prose
Summary: Aeryn returns after Dog with Two Bones, bruised battered and with a baby. Warning: Part 3 gets a little graphic.
1. Part 1

**All Fall Down**

**Written by: farchild628**

**Farscape and its characters are property of the Jim Henson Company.**

Part 1

John took a deep breath as he stepped off Lo'La, Winona at the ready. He scanned the maintenance bay looking for signs of any intruders. But Moya was still and silent except for her gentle rumble. What had he expected? Aeryn to come walking through the door? The knot in his stomach tightened at the thought of Aeryn.

"All clear!" he called to D'Argo and the others.

They slowly made their ways off the Luxan ship. Savoring the moment of their return home.

"_Home,"_ John thought, _"It won't feel like home again until Aeryn is back aboard."_

Aeryn screamed in pain and fear as yet another explosion shook her Prowler. She was flying as fast as she could, dodging to stay out of reach of her pursuers. However, their ships were faster, more powerful, and, most importantly, undamaged. She kept flying; she must protect her precious cargo.

With each shot, the Prowler was becoming harder and harder to control. Another blast hit, causing her to spin wildly, although she managed to stay on course. Blood poured from a gash above her eye, making it even harder to see. If she could just get to the asteroid field, maybe she could lose them, at least for a little while.

It had been twenty solar days since John and the rest of Moya's misfit crew had returned. John was up in the middle of the sleep cycle, yet again. Unable to sleep without seeing horrible images of Aeryn being tortured by the Peacekeepers, Scarrans, Nebari or whatever other species had it in for him. Tonight he had woken in a cold sweat after dreaming Aeryn was being chased by a creature that looked something like a mix between a Scarran and a Nebari.

He entered Command, "Hey, Pilot."

The Pilot's face appeared on the clamshell. "You're up late, Commander. Is there anything wrong?"

"Oh, no, there's nothing wrong. I just can't sleep. So, is there anything that needs repairing?"

"Nothing that the DRDs cannot take care of. Why don't you go back to bed?"

John didn't have the strength to argue; he just turned around and left Command.

As Aeryn had expected, it took them less than three arns to find her even in a vast asteroid field. The microt the sensors locked onto her position, she flew like a bat out of hell, as Crichton would say. Just as she exited the field, there she was, she had finally found it; Moya.

John was just getting back into bed when Pilot called him. "Commander, since you are the only one awake, there is a ship approaching at top speed. It's a Prowler."

His heart stopped, "Is it Aeryn's Prowler?"

"Several other ships have appeared on Moya's sensors. They are pursuing the Prowler."

"Well, for God's sake, let her on and starburst."

John was already halfway to the docking bay. It just _had_ to be Aeryn.

One more pulse blast hit her Prowler as she sped through Moya's opening doors. She had barely any time to slow down before she crashed into the wall. The sound of Moya starbursting was her only comfort as everything went black.

The echoing sound of smashing metal made John jump. He had never seen Aeryn crash her Prowler, a transport pod or anything else. She must be in terrible shape. The hangar doors couldn't open fast enough.

He raced over to the mangled Prowler and wrenched the top open. There sat Aeryn, unconscious, bloody, and bruised. Her clothes were tattered and stained, as if they had never been washed. There was dirt on her face and dried blood in her hair. For several microts all he could do was stare until a small movement in a sling around Aeryn's neck distracted him.

Holding his breath, John pulled down a corner of the blanket. Inside was a tiny baby, no more than one or two weekens old. The child let out a squawk and looked up at him with big, blue eyes that were almost identical to his own. Slowly, he let out his breath, hardly believing what he saw.

Without warning, Aeryn jerked awake and grabbed John's wrist so tight her knuckles grew white. "Don't you dare touch her," she said in a voice of deathly calm.

"Aeryn, everything's okay. It's John. You're home. You're on Moya. You're safe. You're gonna be all right," John soothed.

She released him as tears filled her eyes and spilled over. "John," she whispered as she finally recognized him. He reached over and touched her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. "It's been so long."

"Let's get you out of there," John said, his voice choked with tears.

Pulling Aeryn's arm around him, he lifted her out of the Prowler. She winced, but gritted her teeth and climbed out, keeping one hand firmly held around the sling.

Once she had two feet on the ground she leaned heavily on John and slowly they left the maintenance bay. Without thinking, John started moving towards his quarters and Aeryn didn't object.

As they walked, John's eyes rested on the baby, who was snuggled up against her mother. "She beautiful," he finally said. "Does she have a name yet?"

"No, I wanted you to name _your_ daughter," she answered quietly.

John's heart swelled. When he had found out Aeryn was pregnant, there had always been the shadow of doubt that the child wasn't his. To hear the words that confirmed he was the baby's father was almost more than he could take. He leaned over and kissed her quickly on the lips.

"I missed you so much," he said gruffly.

Aeryn didn't know how to answer. She was so grateful to be back on Moya, to be here with John, to be safe, to have her child safe, that tears began to fall down her cheeks again. "I missed you, too," she said tearfully.

When they reached John's quarters, he helped her get into the bed, and almost at once both mother and child were fast asleep.

Aeryn woke drenched in a cold sweat. John was at her side, "Hey, I'm here. I'm here," he said and she realized she had called out loud. "Shh, it was just a dream."

With great effort she pulled herself into a sitting position. "Where's my baby?" she asked suddenly when she noticed the infant wasn't beside her.

"She's right here," he answered comfortingly, pointing out to her a makeshift cradle on the floor. It was only a drawer with a pillow and a sheet in it, but the baby was sleeping peacefully.

"The little squirt and I had been getting to know each other a little. And I think I've picked a name."

"Yes?" she said slowly.

"Reyna."

A wide smile spread across her face.

"If you rearrange the letters, it spells Aeryn."

"It's perfect."

John leaned over, "With your mother's approval, I hereby dub thee Reyna Sun."

They sat there, letting the silence fill the room. Each of them had questions and answers burning inside them, but neither wanted to discuss the things that needed to be said. John was just as happy to have Aeryn back in his life, details could wait, for a little while.

Aeryn would be forever grateful for how John acted on her first night back on Moya. He put no pressure on her to tell him what had happened and why she had left. He was simply the strong support she needed right now. Of course, she knew he expected her to talk to him. But not now, not tonight, she would tell him when she was ready.


	2. Part 2

**All Fall Down**

Part 2

Aeryn didn't want to open her eyes. She felt so warm and safe; she didn't want to break the spell. However, the crying child had other plans. Gingerly, she rose and picked the baby up, "I bet you're really hungry, aren't you, Reyna?" she asked, testing the name out loud as she settled into a chair.

The only response she got was an increase in the baby's wails. As she had been shown, she pulled up her shirt and pulled the infant closer. She immediately latched onto Aeryn's exposed breast and began greedily sucking.

Aeryn leaned back in her seat, watching her daughter eat. It was a rather strange feeling, but one that was relaxing at the same time. She closed her eyes, trying not to think about the past monens. She opened them again and ran one finger along the tiny face.

"Reyna," she said again quietly.

The baby grabbed her mother's finger and Aeryn smiled. She was still in awe of the fact that she was a mother. When she had first found out on the Command Carrier, she was terrified. She'd never imagined caring for a child; she had been barely keeping herself together.

The baby let go with a burp. "Whoa," Aeryn said with a laugh.

She raised the child to her shoulder and started patting her on the back until she let out an even larger belch.

There was a small chuckle and Aeryn looked up. John was standing by the door. "How long have you been there?" she demanded playfully.

"300 microts, give or take a few," he answered as he entered the room.

"Why didn't you let me know you were there?"

"You looked so peaceful. I didn't want to disturb you."

Aeryn sighed and rolled her eyes.

"What?"

"Always the sentimental one."

"And proud of it," he retorted, sitting down on the bed.

She rolled her eyes again, but let it drop.

"I'll watch her, if you want to get cleaned up," John said, seeing Reyna was done with her breakfast.

Aeryn hesitated, then nodded gratefully. "That would be great."

She gently placed Reyna back in her cradle, saying quietly, "I'll be right back."

"Take as long as you need,"

When Aeryn reached the refresher, she turned the water on full blast. She scrubbed so hard it hurt. Then she washed her hair over and over. When she felt almost too clean, she just stood, letting the water run over her bruised and battered body.

Finally, she turned the water off and dried herself with a soft towel. Totally repulsed by the idea of putting her dirty cloths back on, she wrapped the towel around her and hurried to her quarters.

They were exactly as she had left them. It was strange, in this moment nothing had changed. But she blinked and knew things _had_ changed. She rifled through her drawers, looking for something to wear. She pulled on a pair of leather pants and her leather vest. It felt good to be back in black.

She made her way slowly back to John's quarters, running one hand along Moya's ribs. They felt cool beneath her fingers. She took the long way, to avoid meeting anyone else in Moya's crew. She wasn't prepared to talk with anyone other than John right now. She at long last she reached his quarters and opened the door.

John was sitting on the bed holding Reyna and lightly rocking her. "Don't worry, Daddy's got you and he'll never let you go."

The moment she saw her child in her father's arms, Aeryn's heart melted. Her eyes filled with tears that spilled down her cheeks.

He glanced up. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, getting up and leading her to a chair.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, "For a long time," she stopped to take another soothing breath, "I didn't think you would ever get to meet this little one, let alone be a part of her life. Or mine," she added.

"What happened while you were away from Moya?" John said, knowing it would be now or never.

With another huge sigh, Aeryn plunged on before she could stop herself.

Aeryn could hardly believe she was doing this, flying away in a crappy little ship from the place where she had been so happy, once.

"We're in the hands of fate now. We have to trust in that. Fly safe." She reached over and powered up her Prowler. With one final look in the direction of John's module, she added, "Goodbye, John Crichton."

Then she left Moya behind to begin to piece back together her broken life.

She flew as fast and as far as she could, finally stopping on the planet where Crais had mentioned information on the location of the assassin group might be found.

The market was crowded and noisy. She easily lost herself amid the many stalls and people. She could look for the info tomorrow. It was beginning to get dark, the streetlights coming on. She started to look for a hotel.

Finally finding one that looked decent enough, she entered. As the sliding doors closed behind her, a man roughly pushed past her. She walked up to the counter.

"What do you want?" asked the woman standing behind counter without even glancing up.

"A room for one."

Her head jerked up, "Where's your client going to sleep?"

"Do I look like a whore?" Aeryn snapped.

"No," answered the woman complete unperturbed by Aeryn's harsh tone. "I just assumed—"

"Well, you assumed wrong. Just give me a room."

"Fine," she said lazily. "A DNA scan is required to enter your room."

She pulled out a scanner; Aeryn placed her hand on it. A profile appeared on a screen, the woman's eyes grew wide, but she quickly closed it.

"Room 516," she said, turned around and walked through a door behind the counter.

"Thanks a lot," Aeryn muttered under her breath as the door snapped shut.

She picked up her bag and matched towards the elevators.

She located the room and again placed her hand on the scanner. The scan turned green and the door clicked open. The room was small, but surprisingly clean.

Aeryn threw her bag into corner and was about to flop onto the bed when a full-length mirror on the back of the door caught her attention. She faced her reflection full on. She saw a soldier staring back at her, not a mother. A killer looked back through her eyes. _"I've hurt so many people,"_ she thought. _"How could I possibly justify bringing another life into this universe?"_

She had no answer, but she lay awake for arns trying to think of one.

Aeryn woke with a start. It was completely dark, but she had the feeling someone was in the room. Without making a sound, she picked up her pulse pistol from the bedside table. She sprang out of bed, although she never got the chance to fire a single shot. There was a sharp pain in her neck. Time seemed to slow down. She could feel herself falling, however she was powerless to stop her descent. Everything went black before she hit the ground.

Aeryn's eyes shot open, her back arched and she took a huge gulp of air. She was strapped to a cold, metal examining table without any recollection of how she got there. She felt a needle being pulled from her neck. "Welcome back," said a woman's voice.

She tried to see who was talking, but couldn't move her head.

"Ah, ah, ah, no moving. Not yet, at least."

The woman stepped into her range of vision. She was Sebacean. She checked some machines nearby, took a few more notes, gave Aeryn a quick smile and left.

With her limited mobility she tried to survey her surroundings. The bright overhead light glared down at her. The room was white from floor to ceiling and the only sounds were of the whirring of the machines.

The door opened again and the first nurse entered accompanied by other with a red armband over her blue uniform.

"Welcome to the Station," she said. "I'm going to reactivate your motor functions. Please try not to cry out."

She withdrew yet another needle and inserted it into Aeryn's neck. Her body violently convulsed. The straps cut into the skin on her arms, legs, and stomach. She couldn't find her voice to scream.

"I was afraid of this," said the head nurse. "Get the sedative."

Aeryn didn't even feel it, but slowly everything faded and all was peaceful.

"I knew this was going to happen," someone was saying.

There was a sound of agreement from someone closer to where Aeryn lay. "They had her out for too long. "

"Exactly, they can't expect her to wake after twenty solar days in Suspension and have there be no ill effects. I was actually surprised at how well she took it. I mean—"

The other woman cut her off, "Someone's coming."

They both fell silent as Aeryn heard the door open. She opened her eyes a crack to see who had entered; it was yet another nurse.

"How is the patient?" asked the incoming nurse.

"Just coming around now," said one of the others.

"Good, move her to her cell before she's fully conscious."

"Yes, ma'am."

The head nurse left. The one who had spoken pressed a button on the table Aeryn was on and it began to float. The two nurses followed the table out the door and down the hall. Up an elevator and through several checkpoints they walked, and with each step Aeryn was becoming more alert.

At last they stopped outside a cell. One of them entered a code on a pad on the door and it slid open. The other nurse leaned over. "I know you're completely awake," she whispered. "Don't attack me, I'm trying to help you."

Straightening up, the nurse said in a normal tone, "I'm going to release your bindings. Are you going to attack me?"

Aeryn opened her eyes and shook her head.

"Good." She pressed another button and the straps unfastened.

She helped Aeryn onto the cot. "Now you rest, let your motor skills come back on their own. Don't force it or you'll end up causing more damage than good."

"Who are you?" Aeryn asked in a hoarse voice.

Just then the other nurse made a small hiss through her teeth.

"We'll talk about that later. You rest."

Aeryn had a million questions, but no time to ask them before the nurses left. The door glided shut and locked with a defining click.


	3. Part 3

**All Fall Down**

Part 3

Aeryn spent the next several arns slipping in and out of consciousness. Everything felt like a dream, so it didn't really matter if she was awake or not. After two or three arns she had regained full use of her limbs, but felt too weak to sit up, so she continued to lie on her cot.

She was physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. When she thought Crais had killed her mother, she had said that all her connections to the Peacekeepers had been severed. It now felt like all her connections to this world had been severed. There was no reason to keep fighting any more. The soldier that had begun to consume her way of life once again was at a loss for what to do. Leaving her with only raw emotions she was not prepared to deal with.

She didn't even attempt to stop the flow of tears, just allowed them to come. She cried for the hundreds of people she'd killed, she cried for the loss her John, but mostly she cried for her unborn child. The tiny being held in stasis inside her was something to fight for and she had been ready to give up. To desert her baby because life had dealt her a bad hand.

"_Is this who I've become?"_ she asked herself. _"No,"_ she thought fiercely, _"I am stronger than this and I will not stop fighting. I am not dead yet."_

Aeryn placed a hand of her stomach as if in apology. "I will never abandon you," she whispered into the darkness.

If there was even the smallest chance that the father was John Crichton, she would fight to return to him. Something suddenly clicked; her John, the other John…it didn't make a difference. It was still John Crichton, the only man she loved this completely and who loved her beyond hope. His death would always be painful, but she knew she had just taken her first steps towards healing. That thought was the only light on a horizon that had never looked darker.

There were footsteps outside her door. She was instantly alert. With her limited strength she climbed off the cot and hid in the shadows beside the door. It opened and one of the nurses from before entered holding a tray of food cubes. Aeryn grabbed her around the neck. "Make a sound and I end it now."

"I'm the only one who can help you," she said in a slightly choked voice. "Let me go."

Aeryn released her and collapsed on to the cot, utterly spent.

"I see you're feeling better," the nurse said wryly, rubbing her neck.

Aeryn didn't answer.

"I've brought you something to eat."

Aeryn took the tray the nurse held out to her, but didn't touch anything.

The nurse sighed. "You need to eat. You need to recover your strength."

"Not until you answer my questions. First, who are you?"

She sighed again. "My superiors are not going to like this, but since the surveillance has been disabled for the next couple hundred microts they will never know. I am Tahirah and I am part of a resistance movement. I can't tell you anymore than that."

"Second, why am I here?"

"You were John Crichton's lover. Most people who know of John Crichton know of his former Peacekeeper companion. The profile you provided at the hotel showed who you were and the flagged the interest in you. The desk clerk immediately notified the Peacekeepers for a fat pay off. They were going to use you as bait, but then they discovered you were with child."

"What do you know about my child?" she said through clenched teeth.

"I know the stasis has been released, that the child is John Crichton's and that they are planning to use the child's DNA to gain access to the wormhole technology. "

Aeryn's pulse quickened. She felt light-headed and the room started to spin.

Vaguely, she heard Tahirah saying something and felt her hands helping her to lie back on the cot.

"Whoa, you just take it easy."

Aeryn closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. "I'm okay. I'm okay," she repeated as she sat back up. "Just a little…shocked." Then she abruptly looked straight into Tahirah's eyes. "So it's real? I am going to have a baby."

Tahirah nodded.

Aeryn could feel the burning sensation behind her eyes that she had come to know so well over the last few monens. She buried her face in her hands. The sobs were silent.

There was a hand on her shoulder, "There, there," Tahirah soothed. "Everything is going to be alright."

Aeryn glanced up, eyes suddenly dry. "Everything is _not_ going to be all right. I'm a prisoner. No one knows I'm here, _no one,_ because I ran away. Ran from everything I ever treasured because I was afraid. But if I am pregnant with John Crichton's child, then they will never get the wormhole technology because I would rather die than let them touch our baby."

The last words were said with such defiance that Tahirah was stunned. She gazed at Aeryn, battle-hardened soldier and soon-to-be mother, and realized she would fight for her child as fiercely as in any war campaign. "I won't let anything happen to it," she finally said.

Aeryn raised her eyebrows. "How am I suppose to believe you?"

"For the sake of your child, you must."

Aeryn leaned back against the wall and picked up a food cube. The nurse smiled, "That's better. I've got to leave, but I will try to come back in a few arns."

Aeryn nodded and Tahirah left. She finished her food cubes and lay back down. She was exhausted even from that small exertion. As she fell back to sleep her instincts told her not to trust Tahirah completely.

Aeryn woke to the sounds of voices outside her cell. One was deep and male and the other appeared to be Tahirah's.

"She's not ready! She's still too weak and the child is too young."

"I don't care!" the other said. "We need the information now!"

"There is nothing you can gain from interrogating her. _She_ knows nothing of wormholes."

The door opened with a bang. A figure was silhouetted in the doorway. Light spilled in from the hall and Aeryn blinked in the bright light. A male Sebacean stepped into the cell. He was tall and would have been handsome if not for a huge scar that ran all the way down his face.

"Get up, bitch," he hissed.

Aeryn stumbled to her feet and leaned against the wall for support.

"I am Captain Dorjan, Chief interrogator of the Station. I'm going to give it to you straight." He slammed his fists into the wall next to her head. She was trembling with the effort to remain erect, too exhausted to even flinch.

"I don't think you're worthy enough to lick the dren off my boots. You're scum and you defile the name of Peacekeeper. You and your friends murdered hundreds of innocent people when you destroyed the Gammak base and the Command Carrier. You abandoned your own people and deserted everything you were bred to be. The creature you carry is an abomination and it deserves to be killed, as do you. The bloodlines must be kept pure. Luckily for you, High Command needs the information that thing can give them and the microt it is born they will have it. For now, it is your only protection. If I had it my way, you would already be on your knees begging me to end your life. But I'll get to have my fun soon enough. I'm a very patient man."

She swallowed and he laughed. It was mirthless laughter that chilled Aeryn to the bone.

He roughly pushed her back onto the cot, "Welcome to motherhood, Officer Sun. It's going to be hezmana."

Then he was gone, leaving Aeryn petrified to her very core. Slowly, she pulled the blanket up to her chin. _"John, I've been such a fool,"_ she thought. _"I never should have frelling left."_

Aeryn spent the rest of sleep cycle tossing and turning in the small cot until the lights abruptly came on. At almost the same instance a flap at the bottom of the door opened and a tray slid through. She gingerly got up and reached for the food.

She caught a whiff and she felt like she was going to be sick. It looked and smelled as if the contents of the bowl had already been digested. It was brown and lumpy and the small amount of food that was in her stomach churned. She threw up.

Wiping her lips on the back of her hand, she lay back down on the cot. The gritty texture in her mouth was making the so-called food even less appealing.

"You really must eat your meal to keep your strength up," a voice said mockingly. "It's not very appetizing, but it will fill your nutritional needs. And the abomination's, as well."

Aeryn looked around to see that a vid screen had activated next to the door. Dorjan's face grinned evilly back at her. Listlessly, Aeryn picked up the bowl again. She held her breath so she couldn't smell it.

"Every last drop," Dorjan said with great pleasure. "You won't be given more till it's gone."

Each bite was more disgusting than the last. It took all of Aeryn's willpower not to vomit again. She would not give Dorjan the enjoyment. The only good thing was that it was more of a soup, so she didn't have to chew much. It seemed to take forever, but the bowl was finally emptied. She placed it on the floor with a triumphant glance at the vid screen.

"Not so fast." The smug look on his face could not mean anything good. "I said every last drop. Lick it clean."

She closed her eyes for a microt, then bent back down and retrieved the bowl. As quickly as she could, she wiped every last bit of the foul food from the bowl. She could feel his eyes boring into her. It was the most humiliating thing she had ever had to do.

"This is just a taste of what it to come." He laughed at his own joke as the vid screen clicked off.

This became a ritual for every meal for the next weeken, until one morning the tray slid under the door with a plate of food cubes on it. She had never been so happy to see food cubes in her life. After the dren they had been giving her, they were the most appetizing things she had ever laid eyes on. She savored each bite.

Before she had finished the entire plate the door opened and Dorjan entered, accompanied by Tahirah. His eyes grew wide with anger when he caught sight of the food cubes.

"Who gave you permission to eat?" he snarled.

Aeryn was too afraid to answer.

He repeated the question, "Who gave you permission to eat?"

"No one," she said, carefully not looking at Tahirah, who she suspected had taken mercy on her.

His lip curled into a sneer. "From now on, you do nothing without my permission. You don't eat, sleep, or even breath until I say you can." He turned to Tahirah. "Check her."

The nurse hurried forward and began a thorough examination. Aeryn caught Tahirah's eye and without words pleaded for help to escape. With a tiny nod, she answered. A wave of relief washed over Aeryn, but she tried not to show it.

Very aware of Dorjan standing impatiently behind her, Tahirah finished the rest of her inspection without making further eye contact with Aeryn. "Healthy," she said when she had completed the task. "However, she is still rather weak. If you would allow her to do a few simple exercises—"

"Absolutely not," snapped Dorjan. "Leave us."

Tahirah hesitated only briefly before walking through the door.

As soon as the door had closed, Dorjan turned his full attention to Aeryn. He pulled a pair of handcuffs from inside his jacket. "Get up, traitor," he commanded.

She stood. He forcibly pulled her arms behind her back and painfully put the cuffs around her wrists. He opened the door and shoved her through. She stumbled and he made no effort to stop her fall. She fell forward and landed hard on the floor. The taste of blood filled her month.

Dorjan smiled. "Oops. How clumsy of you."

Aeryn struggled to stand while resisting the urge to spit the blood in his face. Once back on her feet, they moved on. They turned down a passage and stopped at the door at the end. Dorjan entered a code and the door swung opened.

Inside was a small room that was empty except for a showerhead and a shelving unit filled with folded towels and uniforms the same color as the nurse's.

The snap of the door's lock echoed around the room, sealing Aeryn's fate. Dorjan walked over to a set of controls. With a loud rush of water the shower burst into life. He made a few adjustments and tested the water with his hand. When he seemed satisfied, Dorjan pushed Aeryn under the water without allowing her to remove her clothes or the handcuffs.

The ice-cold water pelted against her body. She could hear nothing but the rush of water. She tried to breath, but it filled her mouth. For the second time, she was drowning in icy water. Once again she could feel the harness straps pressing against her, holding her to her death. Then it was over.

All was silent and Aeryn opened her eyes. She was kneeling on the floor, her face denches away from it with no memory of ever falling. Her soaking clothes were plastered to her skin and her wet hair cascaded in front of her face, creating a dark curtain.

Dorjan's boot appeared in her field of vision, and he slid a dagger from within it. He squatted down, twirling the blade between his fingers. "I could slit your throat. I could watch the blood pour from your body. I would do it slowly so you could sense your life slipping away." His voice was calm and he sounded almost bored. "Your life and the life of that abomination are in my hands. You need to understand this."

He stroked her cheek with dull side of the blade. Slowly, he moved the knife down her neck until it rested above her collarbone.

"Look at me," he commanded.

She didn't dare. He forced her head up with the edge of the dagger. "Look at me," he said again, more dangerously.

Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his. A twisted smile spread across his scarred face. Aeryn didn't so much as breathe.

Without warning, he stood, grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. He finally released the handcuffs. "Take off your clothes."

It was an order she couldn't risk ignoring.

Having been raised on a Command Carrier where you shared showers and changing quarters, Aeryn was usually not shy about undressing in front of others. Somehow, though, doing so in front of Dorjan was different. His eyes searched out every spot of exposed skin as she removed her pants and then her shirt.

He began to circle her like a beast circles its prey. He started moving closer with every rotation. She closed her eyes so she would not have to see his deformed face. He finally stopped behind her. He pressed his body against hers, buried his nose in her wet hair. "There are no cameras in here," he whispered. "No one will ever know what I do to you in here."

He forced her to cold, wet floor and climbed on top of her. Just then there was a loud knock at the door. Dorjan let out a roar of frustration. The knock came again. He got up and Aeryn started to scramble away. "Stay there," he growled.

He went over to the door and wrenched it open. "What the _frell_ do want?!" he yelled.

Tahirah's startled faced appeared in the gap. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to interrupt. There is a transmission from Commander Faxon. He said it was urgent."

Dorjan's eyes grew wide. "Take the traitor back to her cell," he called over his shoulder as he hurried from the room.

The microt the door was closed, she rushed over and knelt by Aeryn, who was huddled against the wall. "Did he have time to do anything to you?" she asked anxiously.

Aeryn shook her head, her eyes still squeezed shut. She could still see Dorjan's scarred face looming above her.

"Thank goodness," she said, letting out a sigh.

"How did you know?"

"Everybody knows what he does with the female prisoners in here." She shivered. "Commander Faxon is my cell leader, and the only officer Dorjan has to answer to. I got him to call as soon as I could."

"Thank you."

Tahirah said gently, "Let's get you back to your cell."

She got up and held out a hand to Aeryn. She gratefully took it and rose shakily to her feet. Tahirah walked over to the shelving unit and handed Aeryn a towel and a uniform.

Not that it made much of a difference now, but Aeryn turned away as she dried herself and dressed. They walked in silence back to the cell. Just before Tahirah shut the door, she whispered to Aeryn, "I'll do my best to keep him from taking you back there. My superiors have made it very clear, though; they will help you, but under no circumstances should I blow my cover."

Aeryn sank to the cot. She had been so focused on getting out of there, she had never thought about the possibility of Dorjan taking her back to finish the job. She didn't sleep that night, but lay awake for arns with her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach.


	4. Part 4

**All Fall Down**

Part 4

Aeryn was so used to hum of their great ship Moya as she traveled through space that the silence was deafening. It pressed against her ears, making her feel as if the walls were closing in. The endless darkness did not help either. Even Aeryn's keen eyes could barely penetrate it, although Dorjan's scarred face and twisted smile were clearly visible in her mind's eye. She could feel his fingers gripping her wrists, holding them down against the floor and his body pressing against hers. It made her feel sick to her stomach just thinking about it, though she was not a hundred percent sure that wasn't because of her pregnancy.

It had been fifteen solar days since she had seen him in person. He would often watch on the vid screen during meals and comment disdainfully on the ever growing bulge of her stomach. However, she never knew when. Footsteps that would stop outside her door could sometimes be heard in the passage, but no one ever entered. Each time her heart stopped; maybe this time. The constant anxiety of not knowing when Dorjan would appear next was beginning to take its toll.

Aeryn was exhausted, something she also attributed to her pregnancy, but was unable to sleep for fear he would return and catch her off guard. She would just doze on the cot, but that usually left her feeling even more tired than before.

She ached to have John beside her. She kept waiting for him to throw open the door and take her away from this prison through another one of his crazy plans. Every frelling thing would go wrong and more lives would be lost, but they would make it back to Moya.

She longed to have him nearby to help her through her pregnancy. His limited knowledge was still ten times greater than what she knew. They didn't teach about pregnancy during Peacekeeper training. If you discovered you were with child you were either given reproductive leave until the baby was born or more often the baby was transferred to a surrogate mother.

The few basic facts she did know she had only heard in passing. For example, she knew a Sebacean pregnancy was three monens long. But most of all, she wished could share the experience of being pregnant with John. It was his child, and she knew he would have loved every microt of it. She longed to tell him what she was feeling because in her long arns of solitude she had begun to realize how much she wanted this baby, how much she needed it.

The tiny shred of hope she had left rested with Tahirah and her resistance movement. If they decided that it was not worth the risk to help Aeryn escape, she knew neither her nor her baby would survive for very long.

And that thought frightened her beyond anything that she had ever experienced. She didn't care what Dorjan did to her, but the idea of her tiny, helpless child being poked and prodded for wormhole technology was too much. John had sacrificed his life to keep that knowledge out of enemy hands and here she was preparing to hand them the key. Even though she realized there was nothing she could do, deep down she couldn't help feeling she had betrayed John.

She stopped and gave herself a firm mental shaking; it was not good to dwell. She attempted to force herself to think about something else, but failed miserably.

The subtle clinking of metal against metal caught her attention and totally distracted her. The noise stopped outside her cell. Aeryn held her breath, though she knew who it would be. Sure enough, the door opened and Dorjan slipped in to the room. The sudden amount of light that flooded the cell when the door opened briefly blinded Aeryn so that he was nothing more than a silhouette.

He stood over Aeryn, evidently believing she was asleep. She could not make out his face, but knew there was a look of unreserved loathing upon it. She could image his lips curling into a sneer as he fought the impulse to slaughter her in her sleep. Two of his fundamental principles as a Peacekeeper coming into conflict: obey orders and keep the bloodlines pure.

At length he turned away. His desire to obey was apparently stronger than that of the one to kill, though his lust for blood was barely suppressed. She heard rattling as he fastened two chains to the wall. He then returned to the side of Aeryn's cot.

With a lightning-fast movement, Dorjan seized her upper arm and used brute strength to drag her out of bed. She gritted her teeth as his fingers dug into her flesh.

"I am not a happy person when I don't get what I want, you traitorous bitch." His fingers tightened and a tiny gasp escaped her lips. "If it ever happens again, you'll be to one who pays! I'll kill you and the parasite inside you! I don't care about orders!"

He roughly secured her wrists in the chains suspended from the wall. Aeryn didn't protest. Dorjan was already on the brink of losing control, and she did not want to push him.

His booted foot violently lashed out and connected with her shin. She cried out as the pain spread up her leg. The wild look in his eyes intensified. "Just be thankful it wasn't your stomach."

He spat on the floor and left, slamming the door behind him.

The chain clinked together slightly as Aeryn shifted from one throbbing foot to the other. Her head ached for lack of sleep. Her shoulders were stiff from being held above her head for so long. Her wrists were raw and cut from placing all of her weight on the chains in an attempt to give relief to her feet.

She was not aware of how long she had been standing here. Microts seemed like arns, solar days dragged on forever and there was no end in sight. For every meal a nurse would come and wordlessly feed her foul-tasting food, but that nurse was never Tahirah and Dorjan never watched. It was as if they had forgotten about her, just left her here to rot.

Aeryn's knee buckled and she hung limply, supported by the chains. She could feel a warm drop of blood rolling down her one of her arms, but did not have the energy to even lift her head to look.

Slowly, her body numbed and she was able to doze.

Aeryn forced her eyes open. She could once again hear voices outside her cell. Everything felt as if it were moving in slow motion, the words seemed to take forever to reach her ears.

"You can't do this, sir!" said Tahirah in an exasperated tone.

"I'll do whatever the frell I want to do," relied Dorjan, scathingly.

"No, sir, you can't. As a Med Tech, I can override any command, if I feel it would place a patient in harm's way."

"The tralk in that cell is not a 'patient'," he sneered. "It's a prisoner."

"I know that, sir. I just wish to remind you that her child can give High Command the information it needs to defeat the Scarrans and possibly eliminate that threat once and for all. It may also help prevent any other species from threatening Peacekeepers ever again. But treating Officer Sun the way you have been is putting her under a great deal of stress, which in turn puts stress on the baby. Everything that happens to her will affect the child. Since there are no records of human offspring, hybrid or otherwise, we have no way of knowing what to expect. Extra precautions must be taken to ensure the health and safety of the child because of this. The methods you usually utilize to get information might kill the child and I'm sure if that happens High Command will have you executed. She has also been deemed irreversibly contaminated, as will you if you have too much contact."

There was a long pause. Tahirah had skillfully made it beneficial for Dorjan to treat Aeryn with consideration. Aeryn was pleasantly surprised at how quickly she was able to accomplish the task. But that did not help to ease her anxiety. Her heart was pounding so hard against her chest she was sure they would be able to hear it.

Finally Dorjan spoke, "Alright, you make a compelling point. I will bear that in mind next time."

He tried to make it sound as if he about he cared about what happened to the baby, but she knew nothing could be farther from the truth. His only concern was for his own neck; however, that worked to her advantage.

"I want a full medical exam. Leave nothing out of the report."

"Yes, sir,"

Tahirah waited until Dorjan's footsteps had died away before opening the door. She had a huge grin on her face. It took most of her remaining strength, but Aeryn was able find her footing. Tahirah reached up, removed one of the chains and gradually lowered her arm.

She let out a sigh of relief and began to slowly rotate her shoulder. As the stiffness began wear off, Tahirah moved to the other arm. Once both restraints were released, she helped Aeryn stumble to the cot. She sat down next to her and began to gently bandage the lacerations on her wrists. The disinfectant stung a little, but compared to everything Aeryn had been through in her life it wasn't even enough for her to notice.

"How long?" she asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"Eight solar days," responded Tahirah in a disgusted tone. "I have never met a man more ignorant of anything concerning women than Captain Dorjan. You could ask any male in the universe and he would tell you that to make a pregnant woman stand for eight solar days is a bad thing." She let out an exasperated sigh and went ranting on, but Aeryn wasn't really listening.

Once Tahirah had finally finished, she pulled a syringe from within a pocket.

"What's that?" Aeryn demanded.

"A very mild sedative, so you can get some real sleep. It won't hurt the baby."

"No," she said firmly, although the idea of sleep was very, very tempting. "If he comes back I will be totally vulnerable."

"You do not have any choice, Officer Sun. Sleep is necessary for you and your child to remain healthy. It will only last four or five arns and I'll stay with him until you wake up. He won't be able to anything without me being aware of it."

Finally, Aeryn nodded. Tahirah gave her the injection and had she drifted off to sleep before she left the cell.

_The faint cries of a baby echoed through Moya's passages as Aeryn wandered through them. She needed to get to that baby. But everything was different, none of the hallways led where they used to and she could not find anyone to ask for directions. No matter where she went, the wails never became louder or softer. She turned yet another unfamiliar corner and nearly tripped over Rygel sleeping soundly in the middle of the floor. _

"_Rygel, wake up!" she called. _

_He did not stir. She bent down and nudged the small figure. Again, he did not stir. She tried for a second time and then a third to rouse the little Hynerian, but nothing worked. She felt sure he would know where the baby was, if he would just wake up. The howls of the child grew more frantic and Aeryn returned to her search, leaving Rygel behind. _

_She jogged through the strange corridors, desperate to find the child. She finally found Chiana and D'Argo. They were curled in each other arms, sleeping peacefully on a bed in an empty cell. They looked so content, she did not wish to disturb them, so she moved on. _

_She had not taken ten steps when she changed her mind; she would wake them anyway. They would understand. She turned around to discover the cell had vanished. There was nothing but a bare space of wall. _

_She turned back around, heart racing. Her mouth was dry and her palms sweaty; she knew she was dreaming, but just like the other members of Moya's crew, could not awaken. _

_The baby's bawling was intensifying by the microt until it suddenly stopped. A panic rose in her chest and she took off, running blindly through the maze of passages. She needed to find the baby, it was in danger, it needed to be protected. _

_Without warning, she crashed into someone standing the center of the hall. She bounced backwards and slid across the floor. The person reached down to help her up and she realized who it was. "John," she said in surprise. _

_He gave no sign of recognition as he pulled her to feet. He then just turned away. "John, I need your help. I need to find the baby. Do you know where it is?" _

_He didn't even look at her. "John, please!" she begged. _

_He only shook his head slightly. Tears filled Aeryn's eyes, "John, look at me! I'm sorry!" _

_Still shaking his head, he lifted his arm to point. She followed his gaze and…_

Aeryn woke and got violently sick over the edge of the bed. Her stomach heaved as the contents were emptied. She retched again and again, even when there was nothing left. She lay back on cot, panting and shaking. She was covered in a cold sweat, but felt as if she was on fire. The cell swam in and out of focus in front of her. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears.

The door swung open and in stepped Tahirah, "Officer Sun, time to wake. I can't wait any longer—" She stopped mid-sentence. "Officer Sun?!" she cried.


	5. Part 5

**All Fall Down**

Part 5

Aeryn fought hard against the oblivion that was threatening to overtake her once again. She reached out and took hold of Tahirah's wrist. "Crichton promised…he promised," she said with as much force as she could muster.

"What did he promise?" asked the nurse eagerly, but Aeryn could not hold on.

She let go and the darkness washed over her.

The nurses had been desperately trying to lower her core temperature for most of the sleep cycle, but the fever raged on. There was a constant stream of fresh, cool cloths to place over her burning body and medications injected directly into her blood. However, it made minimal changes. She would waken for brief periods of time before slipping back into unconsciousness.

Everything began to blend with her feverish dreams until she no longer knew what was reality and what was fantasy. The voices of the nurses invaded her already-confusing dreams, making them even more terrifying. She tossed and turned, trying to shake the horrible images, but it was no use. She lay trapped in the prison her own mind created.

"We're doing everything we can," said Tahirah to another nurse, who nodded in agreement. "Only time will tell."

Tahirah slowly made her way from one machine to the next, carefully recording the readings on an electronic pad. She sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. It had been a long two weekens of short sleep cycles and long work cycles, but Aeryn was finally showing signs of improvement. She still had a slight fever, but had been fully conscious for solar days. It had been very touch-and-go for quite a while. She was now strong enough for the tests that had to be run to see if any damage had been done to the baby.

At last, Tahirah put down the pad. She drew blood and then reached for the scanner. Time slowed as Aeryn waited for the results. There was nothing. Tahirah pressed a few buttons, a puzzled look on her face. Still nothing. She passed the scanner over Aeryn's stomach again and again, searching for a heartbeat. A silent tear rolled down Aeryn's cheek as a terrible ache began to swell in her chest. Had she lost her child?

Suddenly the sound of a strong, steady heartbeat filled the air. A huge weight lifted off Aeryn's shoulders as she took in a huge gulp of air. She hadn't even realized she was holding her breath.

"There we go," said Tahirah, trying to hide her concern.

Aeryn stared in wonder at the monitor. She could just make out a head, arms, and legs. A powerful emotion she had never experienced spread over her.

"Well, I'm happy to say, everything looks just fine," Tahirah said. "Would you like to know the gender?"

She tore her eyes away from the monitor and nodded. Tahirah chuckled at the look on her face. "Female."

She barely had enough time to absorb this information before Tahirah flicked off the scanner.

"You need rest. I'm running a few tests to determine the cause of your illness and while we're waiting for the results, you will sleep."

"No more drugs," Aeryn said forcibly.

"You are so exhausted, you don't need any sedative." She turned to leave and then added, "Dorjan doesn't have clearance to enter the Med Bay at present, so don't worry about him."

Aeryn smiled in gratitude. The lights dimmed and she rolled over, trying to get comfortable. This was becoming harder and harder as each solar day her belly grew larger. She had just closed her eyes when she felt a fluttering sensation around her belly button. She gasped in surprise and put a hand on her stomach. It lasted only a few microts, but it left her feeling very much at ease. Even though her situation couldn't have been much worse, her baby was still growing stronger. She soon drifted off to the most peaceful sleep she had had in weekens.

Aeryn woke to find a strange nurse strapping her to the bed and Dorjan's figure looming in the doorway. Her wrists were still sore and stiff, but the nurse made no effort avoid them.

"You may leave," he said to the nurse when she had finished.

She quickly hurried from the room, clearly wanting to spend as little time as possible in Dorjan's presence.

Panic grew into a crescendo as he began to gradually move closer to where Aeryn was pinned.

"_No, no, please don't,"_ she silently begged.

He reached her bed and pulled his knife from inside his boot. He then began to cut her clothes. The blade was razor-sharp and it easily sliced through the material. He was so careful it never touched her skin. Soon there was a wide hole directly over her stomach.

He once again began to circle to her. He kept the dagger out, spinning it between two fingers. "Look at you," he jeered, "Utterly helpless, can't defend yourself and can't defend the creature. Vulnerable, weak, fragile, and totally powerless. Nothing would be able to save you this time. No frelling commanders, no frelling nurses, no frelling help."

He was deadly serious and she knew it. He slowly ran a finger in circles across her bare, swollen belly.

"Did you know that by the beginning of the second monen a Sebacean baby can perceive sound? What do you think your monster's first sounds are going to be? Hmm? My guess would be the screams of agony coming from its mother."

He swiftly drew his blade across her cheek so that a thin incision appeared and blood trickled down her cheek. Aeryn let only a tiny gasp escape her lips.

"A permanent reminder," he sneered. "You have been contaminated past the point of redemption. Your own people left you alone, without an ally in the universe because you got too close to an unclassified alien life form. So what do you do? Recreate with the very thing that tore you away from everything you knew until he got you pregnant." The last word seemed to leave a foul taste in his mouth. "You aren't even worth the effort."

He paused, "But I could save you for a rainy day."

With a malicious smile he strode from the room and left Aeryn alone with her panic. Her fear spilled over in the form of tears. They mixed with the blood already on her face, giving the impression she was crying blood. The salty tears made the cut sting. Only one thing in the universe was worth this torture: her child with John Crichton.

"_There is no price too high to keep our child, our daughter safe,"_ she thought as the tears continued to fall. It was a relief to finally let it all out.

From that moment on, panic was Aeryn's constant companion. It was always right beneath the surface. Dorjan had entirely ignored Tahirah's warning. He had probably only said he would 'consider' it to shut her up. She would never be able to let herself believe Tahirah again. She had put her child's life in the nurse's care and she had let her down. The trust had been broken.

Arns later Tahirah returned with the results. She found Aeryn still strapped to the bed, her blood and tear stained face staring determinedly into the darkness.

She rushed to the bedside. "What happened?"

Aeryn didn't answer.

"The surveillance has been disabled; what happened?" she repeated.

That wasn't what Aeryn was worried about, but she answered anyway.

"He was here," she said without looking over. "You said he didn't have clearance."

It took most of her strength just to keep her voice steady.

"He didn't…I don't know how he could have—"

"Ask one of your friends," she interrupted. "There was a nurse with him."

"I can't stop anyone else from obeying his commands without arousing suspicions," Tahirah said grimly.

"How much longer?"

"Soon," she answered as she unbound Aeryn's arms. "My superiors have informed me they have a plan. This kind of thing takes very careful preparation. When you got sick, it put a hold on the operation. As soon as I say you are ready, that plan can be implemented in a matter of arns. You are simply in no condition to travel right now."

Aeryn agreed, but she still wanted out now. Before she could say anything else a voice spoke from the doorway. "How is our little patient doing today?"

Tahirah's face drained of all color and her eyes grew wide. It was clear she was worried about how much of that conversation he had overheard.

"Is there a problem, Nurse?"

"No, sir. You just startled me."

"Right," he replied coolly.

"She's doing much better. The baby is healthy, too."

"Do you know the cause of the illness?"

"Toxic shock, from an infection in her wrists," Tahirah said in a slightly accusatory tone.

"Very good, continue on." He turned and walked away.

As soon as she was sure he was gone, Tahirah said, "You've got your wish. He heard too much of that. We can't risk having you stay any longer. In several arns, another nurse will come and get you. Her name is Halmila. Go with her and do exactly what she says. Until then, get some rest."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, there's a plan to get me out, too. You just focus on keeping you and your baby safe. Good luck."

She hastened from the room, leaving Aeryn completely shocked. There was no frelling way she was going to able to rest. She settled back on her pillow to prepare for the wait and her hand automatically came to rest on her stomach.

Almost exactly three arns later the door opened again. A nurse entered and motioned for Aeryn to come with her. She gingerly slid off the bed and as steadily as she could, walked to the door.

"What's your name?" she asked once she reached her.

The nurse rolled her eyes, "Come on, we don't have much time."

"I'm not going anywhere until you—"

"Halmila. Happy now?"

Aeryn nodded and allowed her to put handcuffs around her arms.

"Sorry about this. Tahirah told me about your wrists, but it's necessary."

Halmila stuck her head through the door to check if the coast was clear and then they stepped out into the corridor. They walked slowly and made several stops so Aeryn could take short rests. They had to take the long way around in order to avoid most of the checkpoints. There were three they had to pass and the first two they cleared without incident.

"Where are you taking her?" asked the burly guard.

"Where Captain Dorjan instructed me to go," Halmila answered.

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just do what I'm told. Captain Dorjan does not inform me of his methods of interrogation. However, he would not be pleased if he discovered you were the reason we are late."

He hesitated, then let them pass. Aeryn glanced back and saw him reaching for his radio. She looked pointedly at Hamila, who nodded to show she understood and they picked up the pace.

Finally, they stopped in front of a door. Hamila knocked softly in a staccato rhythm and it opened, revealing a large cargo bay. Several large, bulky transport ships sat mournfully in a neat row. All but one appeared to be empty and unused.

"You're late," said an officer quietly once they were through.

"I know. We've got a problem. The guard at the last checkpoint got suspicious."

"Frell! It was going to be hard enough to get out of here as it was. Oh, well, nothing can be done about it now."

Hamila nodded apologetically as she removed Aeryn's handcuffs. She gave her a brief squeeze on the arm, then disappeared back through the door.

"Keep against the wall, the cameras have been adjusted to create blind spots," he said to Aeryn.

They made their way to the one ship that was prepped for take-off. "They used to use these babies to transport all cargo, but they now favor the faster, sleeker models." explained the officer. "They're still good for the heavy lifting, though."

He unbolted the door and it released with a slight hiss. Inside, precariously stack on top of each other were about half a dozen metal coffins.

He lifted the lid to one of them, "You'll find everything you need inside this," he said as he handed her a parcel.

Aeryn took a deep breath, stepped inside and lay down. He began to close it, when she asked, "Will they scan your ship?"

"Yes, for biological matter, which is what you'd expect to find in a coffin. We've got no more than nine hundred microts to leave, so if you don't have anymore questions…"

"Yeah, I do. What about breathable air?"

The pilot made a noise of frustration,

"You're not the one who is going to be locked in a coffin," Aeryn snapped.

"Concealed air holes, anything else?"

"How long will I be in here?"

"Nine or ten arns, but if you don't leave now we'll never get anywhere."

He shut the lid and locked it with loud snap. She was in complete darkness. Soon she heard the engines powering up and the motion of lift-off. She counted the microts as they flew farther and father away from her living nightmare.

After half an arn she carefully opened the parcel and the first thing she found was a tiny flashlight. She flicked it on and blinked in the surprisingly powerful light. She discovered the coffin was larger than she had thought, which gave her more room to get comfortable. She rooted through the bundle and unearthed a bag of food cubes. She pulled one out and munched on it hungrily as she continued to look through the contents. There was a small sack of credits, and a dark cloak.

She had no idea how long it was going to take to get to wherever they were headed. She used the cloak as a pillow and settled down for a nice long nap.

It was at least ten more arns until they touched down again. Aeryn was more than ready to get out and stretch her legs. She also had to use the refresher.

Finally, the pilot threw open the lid, "Welcome to Gallibari, the biggest pile of dren in the galaxy." He held out a hand to pull her to her feet. "The entire planet is one big city. It's full of pollution, prostitutes, raslak, and good-for-nothing creatures who only want to beat you senseless, steal your money, and leave you for dead. It's nearly impossible to navigate and everything costs ten times more than it is worth."

"Charming," Aeryn said dryly.

He handed her the things from inside the coffin. She pulled the cloak over her shoulders and wrapped it around her exposed stomach. She slid the other items into the pocket.

They walked down the ramp and Aeryn got her first good look at the city. They had landed in a small alley. The sound of hundreds of engines could be heard just beyond the entrance. Massive buildings towered over them. The clouds overhead were black, hiding an enormous sun. The entire place had an odd smell.

The officer signaled for her to stay by the ship and walked over the only other person in the alley. The man, also covered in a heavy cloak, was leaning against the doorway of one of the buildings and smoking a large cigar. Smoke billowed from it, adding to the smog.

Aeryn couldn't hold it any longer. She squatted behind an overflowing dumper and relieved herself. When she stood up again both men walked towards her.

"This is Mac," said the pilot. "He will be taking you to HQ. Be nice to him, he's a good officer."

Without another word, he sealed the ship's doors and took off. Aeryn watched as it flew into the smoggy sky. Finally, Mac spoke, "We should get started. We don't have very far to go, but this neighborhood is not very safe."

Aeryn nodded and they made their way in the direction of the alley's exit.


	6. Part 6

**All Fall Down**

Part 6

The city was exactly how the pilot had described it; full of pollution, prostitutes, raslak, and thugs. Aeryn couldn't really say about the raslak, but the smog made it difficult for her to catch her breath, numerous females, who could only be prostitutes judging by the way they were dressed, and groups of shady males lined the corners. The men wore cloaks with hoods pulled up so their faces were nothing but shadows. She felt very vulnerable; she had no weapon and was not in the physical condition to fight back.

Hundreds of ships flew far above their heads creating a constant roar. Neon lights blazed from almost every building. Fumes from rotting refuse filled her nose.

The sights, sounds and smells were so overpowering her head started spinning. "I have to rest," she gasped.

She hated to stop, but she felt as if she was going to faint. They ducked into an empty alley and she immediately sank onto a rusty fire escape. She closed her eyes and put her head against the railing.

Mac leaned against a wall near the entrance and pulled out his cigar. He puffed it silently and his gaze wandered to his charge. He looked her up and down, from her gaunt face and the fresh cut on her cheek to the hand resting casually on her distended stomach. He knew she was an excellent soldier, but right now it was hard to imagine.

"Captain Dorjan does not usually leave physical marks," he said abruptly. Aeryn opened her eyes and he indicated the slash on her cheek. "I've seen countless prisoners removed from the Station after two monens without a scratch on their bodies, but they cling to life by a thread. You fared remarkably well."

"It was not I who had the information he desired, but my child." Her tone was so finite; Mac knew the conversation was over before it had really begun. He didn't mind. They were both people of few words.

He focused his attention on the five or six people standing across street. He didn't like the way they were watching them. In what appeared to be a careless motion, he pulled back his cloak revealing a pulse pistol strapped to his thigh. The message he sent was all too clear; I'm armed and will not hesitate to kill you.

Aeryn got to her feet and came to stand beside him. "Are you feeling better?" he asked, still watching the crowd.

She let out a weary sigh and nodded.

"Good."

The faster way to HQ was through a side road around the corner, but that route would require them to pass the group. He was not willing to risk it. So, they left the safety of the alley and turned hammond.

"You all talk!" The biggest of the men called after them. "He won't hurt nobody. He flashes his gun like he a big, bad Peacekeeper, he not. Nobody on this frelling planet is!"

"Maybe he let us play with his bitch," yelled another. "We know real fun games. Come on, driblocks. Me and you, what you say?" he made a rude gesture in the air.

They all howled with laughter.

"Don't take it personally," said Mac once their shouts and insults had faded. "I've lived here on and off for six cycles. They don't know any better. Hardly anyone on this planet has an education. Their government is so corrupt, nothing ever gets done. Prices are extremely high and there are very few jobs. So the only way to earn credits is a life on the streets."

He kept talking, but she wasn't really listening. When he finally noticed, he fell silent.

They marched on through the maze of alleys, streets, and shortcuts. She had long since lost her sense of direction. Provided Mac knew the way, she didn't care.

"I don't want to alarm you, but we're being followed," he said in a hushed voice after another quarter of an arn.

She was instantly alert. With quick glance over her shoulder, she saw a shadow flit behind a dumper.

"Just a few more blocks," he reassured.

After three hundred more microts, they entered a large courtyard. Three sizeable factories famed the square, but only one showed signs of having been used in the past twenty cycles. In the areas of the walls that weren't covered in graffiti, the paint was faded and chipped. The windows were blackened, giving the structures a forlorn look.

He walked purposefully towards a gap between two of the derelict buildings. However, before they reached it, they were ambushed.

Three men leapt down from a dividing wall that separated the passage from the street. All three landed on top of Mac, throwing him to the ground.

"Run!" he yelled as he tried to fight off their attackers.

Aeryn didn't need him to tell her that. She took off as swiftly as she could.

"Catch her!" bellowed one of the men as he fought to gain control over Mac and one figure tore after her.

She heard shots fired and the thud of someone hitting the ground, but she didn't look back. She just kept running. Her heart raced, her lungs burned, footsteps pounded just behind her. There no was chance of escape. It was a dead-end.

He yanked her off her feet. She tried to struggle, although her weakened muscles were no match for his powerful grip.

In the shuffle her cloak fell away. Her enlarged stomach could clearly be seen.

The man chuckled, "You gonna be a mama, even better."

Her heart rate increased and she strained even harder to break free. To flee from one evil only to be caught by another, it just wasn't fair.

He half-carried, half-dragged her out of the alley and back to the courtyard. Suddenly, he pushed her onto hands and knees. She landed in a puddle and when she looked downed she realized it was blood.

Next to her lay Mac's lifeless body. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes stared blankly up at the blackened sky. His pulse pistol lay beside him on the pavement, useless. Beyond him two other bodies were motionless. It didn't make any sense. It wasn't possible. How could all three men be dead?

She soon got her answer. A forth person jumped down from the wall, a large pulse riffle hung by a strap over his shoulder.

He slowly walked over to where she was kneeling. He kicked the pistol and it skidded far out of reach. He bent down in front of her, "He kill my men, I kill him." He said. "Thing is, he kill two my men and there only one of him."

Aeryn swallowed and the other man chuckled. He wrenched Aeryn up by her arm and pinned her against the wall.

"We see him creeping around back here all the time," he said. He smelled as if he had not bathed in weekens and his breath was ten times as bad. "It our territory, we have right to protect it. He might be spy, I not know, but now problem solved and I get bonus."

Something inside Aeryn snapped. She was tired of being every man's plaything. With an astonishing amount of force, she thrust her knee upwards. It connected with a sickening crunch and he collapsed, clutching his groin.

She immediately dove for the pulse pistol, careful to land on her side. Her fingers closed around the weapon before the other one had even moved. With two clean shots the men fell lifeless.

She had no idea how long she lay there. What was she going to do now? She had a few food cubes left and small amount of credits, but if she wandered too far she knew she'd never find this alley again. Her only option was to find a place nearby to hole up and wait.

Still grasping the pistol , she moved to Mac's side. She gently closed his eyes, "Thank you," she whispered.

Then, she struggled to stand and move away from the carnage. As soon as she was upright, everything slid in and out of focus. She slumped against a wall and slid to the ground. She was so tired. All she wanted to do was sleep, but she knew she couldn't. She needed to find a place to hide. She couldn't get back up. She was so tired. Everything faded to black.

"What the frell?"

The voice brought Aeryn back to consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes. She was on the ground with no real idea of how she'd gotten there. Fortunately, she was concealed by shadows and the figure did not see her.

He stopped next to Mac's body. "Mac?! Oh, frell!" he exclaimed. He stood up and began to looking wildly around. "Officer Sun?!" he called.

He turned around and she recognized him as the pilot. She pulled herself into a sitting position and he noticed the movement.

He hurried over to her. "Holy frell, it's good to see you," he said breathlessly. "What the frell happened? Are you hurt?"

She looked down and realized her clothes were covered in Mac's dried blood. "No," she said feebly. "It's not mine."

Just then there were sounds of a large group of people on the other side of the dividing wall. "Dren, we'll talk when we're inside. Come on."

He pulled her arm around his shoulder and lifted her to her feet. She winced, her whole body ached.

"You alright?"

She nodded. They limped down a path that lead behind the factory. He stopped outside a door and entered a code into the pad beside it. He pushed hard down on the handle and the door opened.

The inside looked nothing like she expected. It look like a normal, abandoned factory. He chuckled at the look on her face. "Over here."

They made their way to a door that appeared to lead to a storage area. Suddenly, they heard raised voice outside the building. "They've found the bodies," he surmised.

Quickly, he enter another code that revealed a place to insert an ident-chip. He did so and opened the door. Beyond it was a rickety, old elevator. She did not want to get in it. He noticed her hesitation. "Don't worry. It's safer than it looks."

She reluctantly got into the elevator. He followed and enter yet another code. The lift clanged to life and began to descend. He left out a sigh of relief.

She lifted her arm off his shoulder. "It's a long ride," he said. "So I'd get comfortable."

She sat down and leaned her head against the wall.

"What happened?"

"We were ambushed by a local gang. They thought Mac was a spy. But I don't really know, he told me to run. One of them caught me and brought me back to the others and he was already dead. I killed the two that were left."

The pilot shook his head sadly, "He was a good soldier."

Suddenly, she felt strong kick inside her. She swiftly brought her hand to her stomach.

"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously.

Aeryn smiled, "Yes, I'm fine. I just felt the baby kick for the first time."

"Oh,"

She could tell this topic made him uncomfortable, as she asked "Did you have a hard time getting away from the Station?"

"They asked a few extra question when I asked for permission to take off, but other than that, no. They had no reason to suspect me. However, just as I was leaving their sense horizon, they tried to call me back. I made it seem as if I was too far to hear them," he said proudly.

"And they just let you go?"

"Frell, no, the ship has been fitted with a cloaking device and the Prowlers they sent couldn't find me."

They didn't speak again until the elevator stopped six hundred microts later.

"Here we are."

The doors opened and they exited the elevator. They stepped into a lobby. I reminded her of the Station; white from ceiling to floor. There were several doors, each with a keypad beside it, leading away in different directions. A desk that could double as a barrier in a firefight sat in front of them.

The officer behind it frowned when he saw them, "Officer Gagan, where is Officer Mac?"

"Dead," the pilot answered. "Just outside the factory. He and Officer Sun were ambushed by four locals, also dead. I found Officer Sun hiding nearby."

The guard pressed a few buttons on his consol, then glanced at Aeryn and pressed another.

In a matter of microts, two door opened and five persons entered. Four soldiers from one side and a nurse from the other. Officer Gagan and the four soldiers got back into the elevator, presumably to clear the bodies away.

The nurse took Aeryn's arm and led her through the door through which she had just come.

"You look awful. When was the last time you got any sleep? Sleep is very important, especially when you're pregnant," the nurse prattled on as they walked down a long corridor.

After about three hundred microts they turned down another passage. She finally opened a door. "This will be your quarters," she said.

Inside was a comfortable-looking bed, a small desk and chair, and a shelving uniting built into the wall.

"That door leads to your own private refresher." She pointed to a door opposite the bed.

She turned back around to find Aeryn already fast asleep on the bed. The nurse smiled. She pulled a blanket over her shoulders and dimmed the lights. Then she closed and locked the door.


	7. Part 7

**All Fall Down**

Part 7 

The baby gave a few powerful kicks and Aeryn woke with a start. Her room was still dim. She heaved herself over and closed her eyes again. The baby kicked again. _"Just a few more arns,"_ she pleaded silently. The baby gave another kick. "Okay, okay, I'm getting up."

She tenderly swung her legs over the side of bed. Her joints and muscles were sore and stiff from the exercising she had done yesterday. Though, after weekens of basically no physical activity, it was to be expected.

She carefully stood and realized she was still wearing the cloak. As she moved she felt the weight of the bag of credits in the pocket. She slipped it out and hid it in the pillowcase just as a precaution.

Then she made her way to the open refresher door. She closed it behind her and her reflection appeared in a full-length mirror on the back. It was the first time she had seen herself since the stasis had been released. She was amazed at the size her stomach. Although it seemed like cycles since she had last stood in front of a mirror, it still surprised her how large it had grown. Her eyes traveled down to the bloodstains on her cloths, Mac's blood. Like a shadow over her mind, the question she had posed herself on the night she was captured floated to the surface.

_"I've hurt so many people, how could I possibly justify bringing another life into this universe?"_

She once again stared into her own eyes as she had done on that fateful night. Something had changed; they had softened slightly. Suddenly, she had an answer. It had been there all the time, right in front of her. The love she would give her child would make up for some of her horrendous actions. Even though she had no clue what to expect or how to care for it, she was ready for this baby. With a new sense of resolve, she turned away from the mirror.

She took a long shower. It felt wonderful letting the hot water roll over her bare skin and wash away the dirt, sweat, and blood. She only wished it was that easy to remove the memories.

Remembering what Dorjan had almost done to her in shower room at the Station made her feel sick. She shivered as she pictured his scarred face looming denches away from her. He had been so close and she had been so helpless…

_"Stop it,"_ she told herself. _"You're safe."_

But she knew it didn't matter how many times she said those words, she would never believe them until she was in John's arms again.

When she finished, she dried with one of the fluffy towels neatly stacked beside the shower stall.

There was a small knock on the door. "Officer Sun, I've brought your first meal and something clean for you to wear. I'll leave them out here for when you're ready," A voice called through the door.

"Thank you," Aeryn answered.

She waited until she heard the outer door close, then wrapped the towel around her and without even glancing at the mirror, she left the refresher.

Temporarily ignoring the covered tray sitting on the desk, she picked up the clothes. They were made of some loose, stretchy material that fit nicely even over her enlarged abdomen.

As she used her fingers to comb her hair, she turned her attention to the tray. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until the nurse had mentioned food. Lifting the lid, she found an overflowing plate. She sat down, picked up a utensil and took a bite. Although it was of a far better quality than the usual soldier rations, it was still not very good. In spite of herself, she missed John's cooking.

She had just finished when the door opened. "You look much better," said the nurse from the previous night. "Commander Faxon would like a word with you. He is very busy, so it will be quick."

Aeryn nodded and heavily got to her feet. She may look better, but she still felt like dren. As they walked down the long hallway she realized this might be her only opportunity to find out more about the resistance movement.

"How big is this place?" Aeryn asked casually.

"Large enough to hold a hundred people, complete with medical bay, maintenance bay, and underground hanger."

"Wow, how many people are there in the resistance?"

The nurse paused, obviously deciding whether to answer or not. Carefully choosing her words she said, "I will let Commander Faxon answer any further questions you have."

_"It was worth a try,"_ Aeryn thought.

They continued in silence until they reached the lobby. The guard behind the desk nodded curtly to the nurse and they went through one of the doors on the opposite side.

Aeryn expected there to be another long hallway; instead it led to a Command center. It was filled with about twenty people and equipment that equaled the machines on a Command Carrier.

Everyone was intent on what they were doing and only three or four looked up as they entered. Those who did nudged the officer next to them until every eye was on Aeryn. They didn't even try to hide their distaste. They may be renegades, but they still thought like Peacekeepers. The bloodlines still should be kept pure.

She could feel each eye drilling into her, but she would not let them intimidate her.

"Get back to work!" a harsh voice snapped.

She looked over and saw man dressed in full Peacekeeper uniform standing by another open door. He had a cruel face that matched his voice. "This way, Officer Sun," he commanded.

Beyond him she caught a glimpse of a room decorated in red and black. She walked past him into the room. She felt as if she had just stepped onto a Command Carrier.

He strode over to a cluttered desk and sat down in the high-backed chair behind it. As he did so, he motioned for her to sit in one of the smaller chairs in front of it.

He grinned broadly, yet his eyes stayed as cold as ever. "I am Commander Faxon and I would like to welcome to our Headquarters. It is an honor to have someone here with your," he paused, "reputation," he said as soon as she was seated.

"Thank you, sir, and thank you for rescuing me from the Station," she answered.

He inclined his head slightly. "I couldn't stand by and let you and your baby suffer. I only did what was necessary."

"I am still grateful."

"Well, I have some good news for you. First, Nurse Tahirah has escaped unharmed and undetected from the Station and will be arriving here in a matter of arns. Second, we have been tracking a leviathan we believe is Moya for nearly a monen."

Aeryn's heart skipped a beat. It made her very uneasy knowing anyone who was or had been affiliated with the Peacekeepers knew of Moya's location.

"As long as she doesn't starburst, you should be able to return to your ship as soon as you are strong enough."

They weren't even going to try and convince her to stay? Even though there wasn't the smallest chance she would stay, it seemed strange. Were they going to let her just walk away free and clear? Somehow, she didn't think so.

The look behind the Commander's eye confirmed it. They were never going to let her go back to Moya. She had been freed from one prison only to be caught in the clutches of another. It felt as if the floor was slipping away beneath her feet. She swallowed hard and tried to stay calm. He had to think she believed him.

"Unfortunately, you will have to stay confined to your quarters unless accompanied by a nurse or a guard. There is too much highly classified information that is vital to this organization for you to go wondering around. I hope you understand."

"I do, sir," she managed to say.

"Good, well, I have a great deal work to that I need to finish and you need rest, so…" he tailed off as he pressed the button of an intercom. "Nurse?"

The door opened and the nurse entered.

"Take Officer Sun back to her quarters."

"Yes, sir."

The smile Commander Faxon gave Aeryn didn't reach his eyes as she followed the nurse back through the door that led to the Command central. Not a single person dared to make eye contact with her.

A heavy weight settled on her shoulders as they walked. There would be no outside help this time. She was totally alone. If she wanted to escape, she would have to figure out a way on her own. She needed to escape, though, and soon.

"Is there anything I can get you?" the nurse asked once they reached her quarters.

Aeryn shook her head and the nurse left. As soon as the nurse's footstep faded she carefully lowered herself onto the bed.

She felt tears welling in her eyes. It just wasn't fair. Why hadn't she seen it before? The resistance movement had helped her escape simply so they could get the wormhole technology.

_"Well, I've got news for them," _she thought desperately._ "They won't ever touch my child."_

Aeryn lay on the bed, her eyes half-closed. She gave up on trying to get any sleep. The baby was practicing her kick-boxing and using Aeryn's insides as the punching bag.

It had been nearly five arns since her talk with Commander Faxon. There was an empty feeling growing in her chest. They had given her hope and then brutally snatched it away. She went over escape plan after plan, each wilder and more impossible than the last.

The door opened without warning. Through her half-opened eyes she watched a nurse place another tray on the desk and quietly leave.

She didn't have the energy to get out of bed. But the smell of the hot meal soon reached her and her hunger won.

When she was about half-way finished, the door opened again and two people entered. The first was the nurse from earlier and following closely behind her was Tahirah.

Normally, Aeryn would have been thrilled to see her safe and sound, but under the circumstances, she felt nothing but anger towards her.

Aeryn got to her feet as quickly as she could, a false smile plastered on her face.

"It's good to see you looking so well, Officer Sun," Tahirah said, her voice oozing with sincerity. It didn't fool Aeryn for a microt; nevertheless she played along.

"I would not have made it this far if it was not for you."

The nurse smiled in acknowledgment. "Are you feeling up to a medical exam?" she asked.

Aeryn sighed and followed the two nurses out of her quarters. Instead of turning hammond as they had done every time so far, they continued farther down the passage.

They passed a large, open doorway. Inside Aeryn could see a row of three or four Prowlers with a few techs attending to them.

Aeryn took note of the hangar's location.

Less then sixty microts later they turned into the medical bay. There was another nurse already waiting. She helped Aeryn climb onto the examining table. After that it was over an arn of poking, prodding, tests, and scans. Aeryn had had more than enough when the nurse finally withdrew.

They stood with their backs to her; discussing something in whispers. Aeryn managed to catch two words though: wormhole technology.

"You will never lay a finger on this child while I am alive!" she exploded.

The nurses whirled around in surprise.

"I swear if you try and take my baby I will rip you limb from limb!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the door burst open and several armed guards entered. They grabbed her forcefully and held her while Tahirah stepped forward, a large needle in her hand.

"No! Please! No!" Aeryn pleaded. "She needs me."

"Not as much as we need her," Tahirah said, coolly.

She inserted the needle. Almost instantly things began to blur and fade. The last thing she saw was Tahirah standing over her with a triumphant grin on her face.

Aeryn slowly regained consciousness. Her whole body ached. Something was horribly wrong. No bulging stomach, no baby movements. She forced her eyes open and found her stomach was nearly flat once again.

Sebaceans, especially Peacekeepers, had an incredibly fast recovery time. They had to be ready to return to battle within arns after giving birth. So, it had been at least that long. But, she had not given birth. They had cut the baby out of her.

Shakily, she pulled up her shirt and found a thin incision. Aeryn slowly let out her breath, wondering if her baby was already dead.

The door opened.

"Where is my child?" Aeryn demanded immediately.

There was no answer.

She pulled herself into a sitting position, sending sharp pain through her stomach.

"Where is my child?!" she repeated.

The nurse appeared at her side. "Get up."

Aeryn did so and the nurse led her from the room.


	8. Part 8

**All Fall Down**

Part 8

It was the longest walk of Aeryn's life as the nurse led her down the passage. It took every scrap of energy she possessed to move one foot in front of another. Each step brought her closer to what she was most likely her child's body. She felt numb. She didn't even get a chance to see her baby. It felt like an iron fist was squeezing the life from her heart. She had failed to protect her child. A silent tear slid down her cheek.

The nurse finally stopped outside a door where a guard stood and pushed it open. Aeryn stood in the hall, unwilling to enter the room. The guard shoved her inside and closed the door.

Her eyes fell on a tiny, motionless body, lying in a shallow cradle. Little by little she moved closer. As more tears spilled down her cheeks, she hesitantly reached out. Her fingertips touched the soft skin. The baby let out a gentle cry and grabbed hold of Aeryn's finger.

She was not prepared for the rush of emotion that washed through her body. Her child was alive and strong, judging by her grip. She began to pull her finger away and the baby opened her eyes. They were startlingly blue, just like John's.

"Hi there, little one," she said quietly as she tenderly stroked the thin fuzz of hair on the tiny head.

The baby scrunched up her face and began to cry.

"It's just hungry," the nurse said coldly.

She directed Aeryn to sit in the only chair in the room. She did so, wondering what exactly the child was going to be eating. The nurse picked up the baby. "Now lift your shirt and lean back. Get comfortable; this may take a while."

As Aeryn obeyed, she remembered something she had only ever heard mentioned once: breast-feeding. There was no time to object as the nurse deposited the baby into Aeryn's arms and positioned them to give the little body support. Didn't seem to matter that she had no idea what she was doing because as soon as she was settled the baby latched on.

Afraid of disturbing the happy suckling, Aeryn didn't move. She sat stiffly and soon her back began to ache. She looked around for the nurse, but she was nowhere to be found. She swallowed and as slowly and carefully as she could, eased into a more comfortable position. The baby didn't seem to mind; she just snuggled closer and continued eating.

As Aeryn began to relax more she began to enjoy the sensation a little. She could almost feel the bond between her daughter and herself growing. This tiny, little being was totally dependent on her for everything; love, protection, even food. She had known this before, of course, but she finally understood it.

"I love you with all of my heart and I always will," she said aloud. Then she leaned over and kissed the top of her baby's head.

She was so small and looked so delicate, but she had managed to become Aeryn's entire world in a barely sixty microts. It was the only thing she felt sure of.

Cautiously, she moved her free hand to touch the infant's miniature fist and once again the baby grabbed her mother's finger. Aeryn realized the contact between their hands had instantly become a source of comfort for them both. Aeryn sighed; despite the danger that was everywhere around them, everything in this moment was right.

The door suddenly opened and the nurse reappeared, interrupting her thoughts. Without a word she placed a cloth over Aeryn's shoulder. She lifted the baby out of her arms and her heart skipped a beat at the thought of her child being taken away so soon. It had barely been a quarter of an arn. That was not enough time. But then the nurse placed her against Aeryn's shoulder.

"Pat it gently and steadily on the back until it burps. After that, let it feed from other breast and then burp it again," the nurse said as she showed Aeryn how to hold her arms.

Aeryn began patting as she was instructed.

"Good," the nurse remarked as she left.

As the door snapped shut it dawned on Aeryn why she was being allowed to be alone with her child; nobody else want to touch her. She was an abomination in their eyes; a disgusting hybrid. She couldn't image how anyone could think this beautiful child was disgusting. But who gave a frell what they thought?

Her daughter finally let out a sizeable burp and the first genuine smile in what felt like cycles spread across Aeryn's face. Awkwardly, she brought the baby away from her shoulder. She let out a squawk and started to squirm a little.

"Did you like it up there?" Aeryn cooed as she carefully pulled the infant to her other breast. When the baby realized there was going to be more food she instantly calmed down. As soon as she was content she opened her tiny hand. Aeryn knew exactly what she wanted and she let her take hold of her finger.

For nearly two weekens, Aeryn would go every four arns to feed her daughter. She would be waiting when the nurse came to get her from her quarters. Every time the nurse returned to walk her back to her quarters, it got a little harder. She hated leaving her child in the care of the nurse. But she didn't really have a choice.

Twice she found small, red marks on the infant's tiny body. It filled her with rage. She, however, could not act on the rage. She needed to wait for the perfect opportunity. She needed to be patient, something she was not very good at.

One morning she entered the room and her child's weak, pitiful cries met her ears. It was more of a whimper. Her cries were usually loud wails for food. The child had an amazing set of lungs.

She rushed over and gently picked up the baby. "Shhh, shhh, I'm here. Don't cry," she said even more gently.

The nurse rolled her eyes as she left.

Aeryn examined her child and found fifteen red puncture marks. That was it; she couldn't wait any longer.

"You'll have to wait a little longer for your first meal," she whispered as she laid her in the cradle.

Aeryn took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She positioned herself next to the door. "Guard! Guard! Come quickly!" she called

Like a good little boy he came running and in one quick motion, he was dead. Aeryn took his gun and left the body on the floor. She grabbed a stack of diapers, picked up her daughter again and hurried back to her quarters.

She tore a sheet off her bed and created a sling. "You must be absolutely silent," she said as she tenderly placed her baby in the sling. She just stared up at her mother with her big, blue eyes. Aeryn gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and closed the flap.

The cloak had been hanging on the back of the chair since she took it off. She threw it over her shoulders. She put the credits back into the pocket and stuffed the diapers into the pillowcase. With a final glance around the room, she slipped into the hallway.

She was completely exposed creeping down the bare, white passage. There was nowhere to hide and nowhere to provide cover.

She made it to the open doorway that led to the hangar bay without incident. She peeked her head around the corner, briefly. Finally, some luck was with her. There were only two techs inside. One was working underneath one of the Prowlers and the other was checking some data a few motras from the door.

Before the tech even knew what was happening, he was laying unconscious on the floor. She approached the other tech; gun at the ready.

"Get up," she ordered.

The tech looked up from under the Prowler and his eyes grew wide in terror.

"Get up," she said again.

He slowly got to his feet, hands raised in surrender.

She placed the gun denches away from his head. "I need the coordinates of the leviathan, Moya, placed on a data chip, and a fully fueled Prowler."

He shakily nodded. She followed him over to the data console; watched carefully as he programmed the chip and then began to ready the Prowler for take-off. Once he was finished he, too, was rendered unconscious

Aeryn was half-way up the ladder of the Prowler when there was a noise by the door.

She looked back and saw Tahirah bending over the unconscious tech. Their eyes locked for a fraction of a microt.

"The prisoner is escaping!" she yelled and lunged for a control panel mounted on the wall.

With a roar of anger, Aeryn fired several shots in the nurse's direction. They found their mark. Tahirah fell backwards; blood spilling onto shiny, white floor.

Holding her baby protectively against her chest, she leapt into the ship. As she closed the canopy, she could hear heavy footsteps coming closer. More than a dozen heavily-armed soldiers flooded into the hangar, but she was already entering the tunnel that would take her back to the surface.

By the time three other Prowlers exited the hidden tunnel, Aeryn was long gone; lost amid the thousands of other ship that filled the city's dirty skies.

Aeryn landed the Prowler and climbed out. She checked all the usual places for homing beacons. Sure enough she found one. Ripping it out with her bare hands, she smashed it under her boot.

She allowed herself a moment to enjoy her freedom. She opened the flap concealing her child. She found the baby cuddled against her chest, sound asleep. "Welcome to the world, little one," she said with a smile.

Then turned her attention back to the problem at hand. She might have lost her captors for now, but the microt she entered the atmosphere they would find her again.

She got back into the Prowler and inserted the data chip. To her relief, she discovered Moya was less than a solar day's trip away. She was so close she could almost taste it. She just had one more obstacle to overcome. She would have to make a run for it. All she needed to do was fly harder and faster than the Resistance pilots.

She took the time to change and feed the baby. She had not quite mastered how to change a diaper yet. The nurses only allowed her to do it two or three times. On top of that, she had to do it in the cramped Prowler cockpit on the seat. The diaper was a little crooked, but it would work.

She then let the little child eat until she was completely full. She didn't how long she would have to wait until her next meal. The rhythmic suckling helped to calm Aeryn's nerves. She had done this sort of thing too many times to count, but attempting it with her child aboard was a different story.

"You ready for this?" she asked as she settled the infant back in the sling. The baby just yawned in response. She planted a kiss on the tiny cheek and closed the flap.

With that she took off straight into the atmosphere; passed the blackened clouds until there was nothing but cold, clear space, where she belonged.

Aeryn talked for over an arn, although it felt like much longer. John was wonderful, as he always was. The only time his attention wavered was to place a sleeping Reyna back into her make-shift cradle. He didn't interrupt, but with soft touches, encouraged her to continue.

Images flashed before her mind's eye as she described them to John; reliving every moment. She would never admit it out loud, but talking did help. It felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

When she finally finished, John couldn't speak. He sat, staring at his sleeping child.

"John?" Aeryn asked, gently.

He closed his eyes briefly and then turned to meet her gaze.

"I am so sorry," he said in hoarse voice.

"For what?" she said, quietly. "It wasn't your fault."

He let out a cold laugh. "Of course it was my fault. Everything is my fault."

She took his face in her hands. "It was _not_ your fault. I don't blame you and I need you to believe that. I wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for you; just knowing that you were out there somewhere, kept me going."

"You are the most remarkable person in the universe. You have more strength than I could ever hope for. You are back in my life and I will never, ever let you go again. You and that baby are my only concerns."

"What about wormholes?" Aeryn asked playfully.

"I'm serious," John replied, glad that she was joking again. "I will do whatever it takes to keep you and Reyna safe, which includes a trip to the medic's to be sure the two of you are okay. Don't even try and argue."

"I wasn't going to," Aeryn retorted.

He reached over and pulled her closer, his arms encircling her protectively.

"Yes, you were," he whispered as he breathed in her scent.

A long, shuttering sigh escaped Aeryn's lips. She was finally home. It was all behind her. She was safe. The only thing left was her daughter and the man she loved.

The End


	9. Epilogue

**All Fall Down**

Epilogue 

It wasn't a tune she knew or even real words, just something Aeryn had made up to ease her daughter to sleep. She had a rich voice that filled the room with gentle sounds. This time was the most precious for Aeryn. Rocking Reyna to sleep, holding her, loving her, giving her all the things she missed out on as a child. She cherished every microt.

She laid the sleeping baby in the crib and slowly pulled her finger from the child's grasp. She lightly stoked the tiny head. "Sleep tight, little one," she whispered.

She heard footsteps and felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She leaned back against John's strong body. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

"You are the most amazing mother, ya know?" he whispered in her ear.

"You sound surprised," she teased quietly.

"I'm not surprised," he answered as he nuzzled her neck. "I just love it when you sing."

She smiled, enjoying the moment.

It had been nearly six monens since she had returned to Moya. Her wounds had healed and strength had returned. But nights were still hard. She often had nightmares of long, white hallways, shadowy figures, and a screaming baby. She would wake and hurry across the hall to make sure Reyna was alright. And she always was.

Other than that, things were almost completely back to normal, well, as normal as things could be on Moya with a new baby.

Reyna was the most amazing thing to ever happen to her. She daily showed John and Aeryn the wonders of the universe through a new light. Her big, blue eyes took in every new sight with a smile and a giggle. Even John admitted she was the happiest baby he had ever seen. Healthy and happy; there wasn't much more for they could ask for.

D'Argo loved helping out. Although she tried to hide it, so did Chiana. John called them Uncle D and Auntie Chi. Even Rygel had developed a fondness for the child.

Aeryn had a hard time adjusting to Moya's two newest crewmembers. Noranti was always making weird foods for everybody to try. Sometimes it tasted great, but other times it would smell worse than she did.

Sikozu was always lurking in the background; watching with her slightly-crossed eyes. It sometimes made Aeryn uncomfortable.

"We should get going," John said, reluctantly breaking the silence.

She hesitated, "Maybe we should just stay here."

"Oh, no, I already promised Chiana a weeken of dish duty in exchange for babysitting."

"I hate leaving her."

"I know, baby, I know." John leaned over and gently kissed her. "Our baby will be safely aboard Moya, with our friends to protect her. There is nothing to worry about."

"I know, but it's still hard."

"I understand, I'm going to miss the rugrat too, but I've been dying to get her mother planet side," he replied softly and kissed her again.

Aeryn smiled. "Okay, let's go."

She leaned over the crib and kissed her daughter's soft cheek, then stepped aside so John could do the same thing. She heard him whisper, "I love you."

With one more glance they left the room, hand in hand.

They had been orbiting this planet for about two weekens. It was a commerce planet, but one of nicest Aeryn had ever seen. The people who lived there truly cared about their planet. They kept the cities clean and safe. There were parks and gardens between the immense buildings. The people were very friendly and always willing to help an off-worlder with directions.

John landed the pod in the largest of the cities, Phaedra. It was built over an enormous lake. Canals and bridges connected the different sections. At night, creatures John called fireflies floated to the surface and drifted throughout the city. They filled the entire city with a soft glow. The restaurant where John took her had several in small lanterns around the room.

They were nearly halfway through their meal before Aeryn began to relax. _"Chiana will comm if there are any problems,"_ she told herself. _"Reyna is in good hands."_

When they finished eating, they strolled through a nearby park. They didn't talk about anything in particular. John seemed nervous and kept playing with something in his pocket. They were crossing a small bridge when he stopped.

He got down on one knee and took her hand in his. Aeryn's breath caught in her chest and her heart raced; she had seen the Earth movies.

"Aeryn," he spoke calmly, "I love you with all of my heart. You are my strength, my rock, my constant, the very ground I stand on. You know I would be lost without you. You have already given me the marvelous gift of a child, would you do one more thing for me and become my wife?"

Her eyes filled with happy tears. She nodded and a small, "Yes," escaped her lips.

From his pocket, John pulled a small box. Inside was a ring, which he slid onto her finger. It had a single, sparkling stone on it.

He stood and pulled her close. They kissed as if nothing could or ever would pull them apart. When they finally broke apart, John smiled, "Was it worth leaving Rey aboard Moya?"

Aeryn didn't answer, just kissed him again.


End file.
